Hair curler



Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRANK sonrnnvrna, or nnwyonx, n. Y.

HAIR cunnnn.

Application filed February 28, 1927. Serial No. 171,495.'

This invention relates to the art of hair curling, often referred to as permanent wavin and bears more directl u on the curler adapted for use in this art. In practising this art, it isnecessary first to confine locks of hair in a tight helical curl, which curl is then subjected to heat and difierentre-agents tending'to iii; the curl in thehair. Heretofore, many curlers have been designed for this purpose, most of which have one or another defects. The object of the present invention is to supply a hair curler substan tially free from defects, relatively cheap, and simple in construction and operation, and one which is practically universal in its function. For example, it is an objective that the tuft ofhair to be curled may be wound with or without av twist of the tuft or strand of hair either in a right or a lefthanded direction, andwill conformcooperatively with any of the well-known heat applying devices. A further object of themventionisto provide for the firmgripping of the tuft of hair to be curler at the locality of the scalp, doing away with slipping or the necessity of tying the tuft of hair to the curler. A further object'of the invention is to effect this gripping both for left and right-handed curling. A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism itself effecting awinding of the tuft-of hair uponthe curl-er, eliminating the necessity of grasping the tuft of hair with thefingers to effect this winding. Finger winding usually effects a twist of the strand which is more often undesirable, while the automatic winder embodied in my invention may at will wind the: hair with orwithout twist, or by an added finger manipulation with a twist. A further objective in connection with the winderisto fabricate it insuchaway as to cause it to function as a lock for the wound curl of hair uponthe'curler, thus doin away with the necessity of tying the ends of the curl. v

if-L further object of my invention is to provide mechanism capable of giving'to the wound tuft of hair an additional forcible windtending to efiect a tighter curl than to produce almoreeflicient hair curler than has heretofore been available for. use.

The above will better be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiments of my invention,:to which the followingspeciiication is directed forthe purpose of illustrating the subject matter embodied in the following claims, and the same are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, which form apart hereof, allfor purposesof illustration and not limitation.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is afront elevationof oneofmy curlers witl'ixawstrancl or tuft ofhair wound ready for curling; I

Fig. 2 is. aside elevationwith parts'broken away, andthe relation oflparts indicated: by dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a fractional elevationof the central shaft; t iFlgYA is a distalend view 'of-the strucure; I

Fig. 5 is a section showing the gripper end from the opposite face relatively to that shown in Fign; i i

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view with parts broken away, showing the co-axial arrangement ofthe parts of the shaft;

Fig. 7 is a fractionalaxial section, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of .the end spring constructionpand I Fig. 9 isa proximal end view showing the clutch mechanism for inter-relating the outer. and intermediate tubular parts.

Referring more in vdetailto thedrawings, the structure .as shownparticularly in Fig. 1, comprises-priniarily threeparts, an elon gated multiple shaft A, upon-which the strand of hair 1 is to be wound; agripper mechanism 33 atthe distal enchandanlnechanical winder means C riding out-he shaft A. In its'preferred form, theshaft A comprises a central shaft or stem 3 with the combination guard and gripper partafixed thereto as by riveting. This gripper part t comprises two horns 5 and 6, directed to wards each other, and outlying a centralhub 7-.so that an entrance 1n0uth81for the lock of hair 1 isprovided betweenthe tipsof the horns and a right and-a left-handed gripping channel 9 and lO-merge from the mouth 8. It ishpreferred that the exteriorofthis gripper part 14 be provided with knurling l1 toprovide a secure finger grip. Thecooperating gripper part or foot 12 also has teeth or knurling 13 provided on the outer cooperating face of the structure to assist in holding the foot 12 in gripping engagement with the strand of hair, which may be crowded against one of the gripping edges 15 or 16. i

The foot 12 is formed preferably as an axial extension from the intermediate tubular shaft 1'? overlying the stem 3 co-axially therewith, and provided at itsproximal end with out-turned clutch fingers 18, located in notches 19 of the friction sleeve-20.

Mounted about the intermediate tube 17 is an outer tube 21 which from the demarking line 22 to its proximal end is preferably knurled or roughened to provide a. firm finger grip or a grip for a pair of pliers. The friction sleeve 20 bears against the end of this outer tubular part 22 with frictional engagement. It is preferred that a compression spring 23 be employed to increase the frictional cooperation between the three parts of the shaft. This is accomplished preferably by fixing a bushing 24 to the proximal end of the central shaft 3 and providing a loose friction bushing 25 between the spring 23 and the friction sleeve 20. By this spring arrangement, one or both of the outer tubular shafts are thrust towards the distal end of the structure towards the gripper part 4. 1

.Riding on the outer tube 21 is the automatic winder G which is formed preferably of resilient sheet metal having gripper means 30 frictionally holding the winder to the outer sleeve 21, although by the application of a manipulatingforce as to the wings 31 may be caused to rotate either with or on the outer sleeve 21 and to be moved axially thereon. This winder is constructed to function both as a right or a left-handed winder having similar notches 33 and 34, formed in front of winding horns 35 and 36, which provide'an entrance slot therebetween for the strand of hair 1. This winder Calso functions as a lock or binder for the wound strand of hair, eliminating all necessity for tying off the end of the wound strand.

Initsoperation, to effect a right-handed twist, as shown in Fig. 1, a strand of hair 1 is slipped sidewise through the mouth 8 into the passage 9. The foot 12 is rotated by means of a finger twist upon the part 20, the fingers of the other hand holding the part 4 until the foot 12 forcibly clamps the strand of hair against the gripping wall 15 up near the scalp. The projecting lock of hair is then inserted between the horns 35 and 36 of thewinder, which is finger-rotated by means of the lip 31 in a right-handed direction. The lock of hair then automatically forms its own twist or helix about the outer tube 21, the winder C moving outwardly in a proximal direction, as the strand of hair is wrapped about the sleeve 21. The rotation of the winder by friction imparts a tightening effect upon the gripper foot 12, and also the desired degree of winding upon the outertube 21 under the entire strand of hair as it is wound up. In some cases, the tightness of the twist is not as great as may be desired from the effect of the Winder b alone. When an extra degree of tightness is required, with the gripper part 4 held in the lingers of one hand, a pair of pliers may be applied to the knurled end 40 of the outer tube 21 to give a finishing twist to the strand of hair 1, with the twisting movement applied throughout the entire strand on its own face, instead ofwholly at one end as by the winder. During this operation, the winder C locks the strand of hair in its closed convolutions about the outer tube 21 while the friction effected by the compression spring 23 is sullicient to prevent an unwinding of the strand.

Inits fabrication, I prefer to employ all metal for my structure so that the whole may be heat-sterilized. Suitable materials are brass, nickel plated steel, and aluminum. Although I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my entire structure, I. desire it to be understood with definiteness that many separate elements and combinations of C18. ments short/ 0f the whole areviewed by me as novel and constituting a part of mywhole invention. i

What I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A hair curler comprising three concentric shafts, the outer two of which are tubular; a two-part gripper fixed to the distal ends of two of said shaft and operable independently of the other of said shafts; the outermost shaft being positioned between the other shafts and the hair; and a winder clip riding upon the said outermost tubular shaft and being frietionally gripped thereto.

2. A hair curler comprising a tubular part upon which the hair is to be wound and an inner shaft, a combination right-hand and left-hand hair gripper for the distal end of said structure; a combination right and lefthand winder riding upon said tubular part, having frictional engagement therewith, and movable thereto both axially and circumferentially; and means tending to hold said gripper in gripping condition.

3. A hair curler comprising a shaft upon which the hair to be curled may be wound; a manually operable gripper forming a part of said mechanism located at the distal end of the structure and adapted firmly to grip a tuft of hair to be curled at the locality of the scalp; 2. winder cireumferentially and axially movable upon said shaft frictionally gripped thereto and capable upon manipulation of winding atuft of hair upon said shaft and having means for holding said tuft of hair upon said shaft in wound con-v dition.

4. The structure as definedin claim 3 and a further characterized by the fact thatosaid F shaft comprises a rotatable outer part adapt- W form of a plurality of relatively movable co-axial parts; a gripper for grasping a tuftpf hair and located at the distalend of such structure; a hair Winder for automatically Winding a tuft of hair upon said shaft Without twisting it and having means for holding the tuft of hair in Wound position;

and provisions for frictionally holding said I Winder against counterrotation relatively to said gripper.

FRANK CAPDEVILA. 

